George Powell, 45, Jailed for Stabbing Friend Lewis Prosser Over Stolen Gold in Paignton
George Powell, 45, previously jailed for his role in stealing a £3 million Viking hoard, has been sentenced to 20 months in prison for stabbing a friend during an argument over alleged stolen gold. The attack on Lewis Prosser took place in October 2025 at a caravan site in Paignton, Devon, while Powell was at large from police.
Prosser sustained a bleed on the brain, a fractured jaw, and a fractured ankle, and now suffers from epilepsy. Exeter Crown Court heard that Powell, from Newport, South Wales, had been released on licence after being jailed in 2019 for stealing 300 Viking coins and gold jewellery discovered in a Herefordshire field in 2015. He was evading authorities after failing to appear for sentencing in January 2025 related to not paying his share of the hoard’s value.
The court was told that Powell and Prosser had been drinking before an argument erupted in the early hours of 18 October, with Prosser accusing Powell of stealing gold and jewellery from him. Prosecutor Michael Brown stated that Prosser “woke to find Powell repeatedly striking him with a knife and a truncheon baton.” Prosser fled to another caravan for help and received hospital treatment for 10 days. Jewellery and gold were later found elsewhere on the site, though investigators do not believe it was connected to the original Viking hoard.
In a victim impact statement, Prosser described his injuries as devastating, detailing multiple daily seizures and attempts to take his own life, necessitating psychiatric admission and family care. Powell claimed self-defence, but Judge Stephen Climie ruled against this, sentencing him to 20 months, to be added to his existing five years and three months for failing to repay money. A 10-year restraining order preventing contact with Prosser was also issued.
Powell and Layton Davies uncovered the 9th-century Viking treasure, buried for 1,100 years, near Leominster. The hoard, one of the largest in British history, included a gold ring and a dragon’s head clasp bracelet. Had the find been declared, they would have become wealthy; instead, they sold it to dealers. Over 230 of the coins remain unrecovered. Davies was also ordered to serve an additional five years and three months for failing to pay his share.
